Hallway Shenanigans
by toesalignedarch
Summary: AU: When Inuyasha delivers flowers to Sango on Miroku's behalf, he runs into one of Sango's friends and unwillingly develops a little crush. He thinks he's just going to get over it. But when Sango finds out, she decides to play matchmaker. Told in snippets of 250 words or less.
1. Flower Delivery

**Flower Delivery**

* * *

Why Miroku couldn't bring the flowers to her himself, he would never know. All he knew was that he was standing in the middle of a hallway in a (apparently prestigious) all women's college, holding a ridiculously large bouquet of red roses. Shifting the flowers in his hand, he raised one fist and pounded on the door again. The bulletin board glued to the front of the door shook with each ferocious knock. _Please open the door_ , he pleaded silently. _I don't want to be caught looking like a whipped—_

"Would you stop that? Kami, you'd wake the dead!"

Inuyasha had never been happier to see Sango's face.

"These are yours," he snapped, shoving the flowers into her face so suddenly that she nearly lost her balance. Struggling to wrap her arms around the stems and thorns, Sango looked around the blood red petals at Inuyasha's face.

"What?"

"Miroku had something come up and he wanted me to give these to you. And I did, so he can't throw away the rest of my ramen. And now I'm leaving."

"Aw, come on Yash!" Sango finally gave up and tossed the roses onto the ground. "You just got here. At least let me sneak you into the dining hall. Free food, you know."

He hesitated.

"They have ramen tonight," Sango commented with a small smile.

He turned around so fast, he nearly whipped himself in the face with his own hair. He could stay just a little longer.


	2. Infuriating Wenches

**Infuriating Wenches**

* * *

"Why isn't the dining hall open yet?" Inuyasha complained. He was stretched out across Sango's bed, staring at the ceiling. He'd already gone through all her things (or at least the things that she would let him look through), studied the bulletin boards on every door in the hallway, and was now in the process of counting the numerous suspicious spots on the ceiling.

"Because the workers have lives, you know. You can't expect people to be willing to spend all day on you," Sango chastised from her desk. She was doing her homework, something from one of her Japanese history courses. She had tried to entertain Inuyasha with the story of the Shikon Jewel but he made it clear he didn't want any stories.

"But I'm _hungry_ ," he whined.

"Hi hungry, I'm Sango," she retorted, rolling her eyes.

"Shut up."

"Only if you do."

"I'm leaving."

"Okay, leaving, I'll make sure to tell Inuyasha you stopped by."

He pushed himself out of the bed and threw open the door. Maybe he would spend some time in the hallway; at least the turquoise carpeting was less infuriating than the wench in the room. At the end of the hall, he could hear someone chatting on the phone. Other than that, the hallway was empty. Thank goodness, he could do with some peace and quiet.

 _This day can't get much worse_ , he thought. At that moment, the person on the phone rounded the corner, and Inuyasha's day got a _lot_ worse.

* * *

A/N: if some of you got a notification for a chapter 2 that was uploaded before this one was, then I'm so sorry! Something glitched and I'm still not sure what happened, but this is the real chapter 2.


	3. Avocado Socks?

**Avocado Socks?**

* * *

He watched her walk down the hallway, absolutely intrigued. Long, black hair, tied in a loose ponytail at the back of her head. Fitted blue t-shirt. Black athletic shorts that stopped at mid-thigh. Long, tan legs. Blue and white sneakers, and—

He did a double take at her socks. Were those… avocado socks?

As she walked past him, she spared him a quick glance. Upon eye contact, she offered him a smile and kept walking. His eyes followed her as she slipped into one of the rooms further down the hall. Only after she disappeared from sight did he release the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

 _Okay_ , he thought. _Wow_. She really wasn't his type; his type dressed more provocatively and was more willing to throw themselves at his feet but no, this girl seemed… not like his type. The way she walked, so nonchalant yet so confident, mesmerized him. The sway of her hips and the swish of her hair with each step hypnotized him. And when her scent wafted to his nose as she walked past, he knew he was a goner.

 _There is no way someone like that isn't taken_ , he growled. _Damn, why are all the good ones taken?_

Sango cracked open her door and stared at Inuyasha slumped against the wall.

"You good?"

"Fine," he responded, wincing as his voice cracked. _Shit,_ he groaned inwardly. _I sound like a prepubescent pup_.

"Well, I'm ready to go eat. You coming?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Coming."


	4. I Won't

**I Won't...**

* * *

He tried to walk past the door the girl had disappeared in without making a scene. Casually, he glanced at the bulletin board on her door but her nametag was blocked by some streamers hanging above. The bulletin board itself was covered with assorted shapes made of paper; there was a bow and arrow, what looked like a swimming cap, and a few photographs hanging from transparent pins. _I won't look at it_ , he told himself. _I won't ask about her, I won't make a fool out of myself, I won't—_

"Sango, who lives here?"

 _Fuck_.

Sango eyed him strangely before answering. "That's Kagome. I talk about her sometimes, when we hang out. You should remember; she's on the swim team and does club archery. The girl who managed to shoot straight down someone else's bulls eye?"

"Oh, right. Her. Okay."

She looked at him again and he fidgeted under her scrutiny. "Why do you ask?"

"Nothing," he blurted. _Shit_ , he thought as Sango's eyes narrowed. _I answered too quickly, didn't I? Dammit!_

"Are you sure it's just nothing?"

"Positive." He plastered a neutral expression on his face and kept walking towards the stairs, praying to any deities who were listening to make Sango drop the subject. _Please, I'll do whatever you want, just make her forget about it—_

"Inuyasha," Sango said, her voice getting louder and louder. "You… you like her, don't you?"

 _Fuck_.


	5. This is

**This is...**

* * *

"This is great," Sango said for the hundredth time. They were sitting at a table in the corner of one of the dining halls on campus. Inuyasha scowled at her and stuffed more ramen into his mouth. "This is wonderful," Sango said, absently spooning some soup into her mouth. "This is fantastic."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and tried to ignore her. Instead, his mind began to wander and ended up thinking about the girl— Kagome, Sango had said— and what exactly about her was so enticing. Definitely not his type, yet he couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Thinking about her?" Sango asked, eyes bright as she leaned across the table.

"Hell no," Inuyasha spat. _I hope I'm not blushing like a fucking—_

"You're blushing," Sango pointed out.

 _God Dammit!_

Snickering at his discomfort, Sango couldn't stop another idiotic grin from slipping onto her face. "This is—"

"Finish that sentence and that's the last sentence you'll ever finish," Inuyasha snarled.

"Okay, okay," Sango said hastily, hands up to placate him. The last thing she needed was for Inuyasha to throw a tantrum, break some tables and chairs, and get her kicked out of school. "I'll stop. For now."

"You better," he muttered.

The girl wasn't even _that_ hot. She was cute, of course, with her big eyes and long legs, but if she had been in a crowd, he probably wouldn't even have noticed her.

"This is amazing," Sango whispered as she watched Inuyasha's eyes become distant.

"SANGO!"


	6. Chances

**Chances**

* * *

"You're up to something," Inuyasha accused the smiling woman next to him.

"Who, me?" Sango asked, feigning innocence. "Why, I would never!"

"Never my ass," Inuyasha grumbled. "I hate it when you get that look in your eyes; it never bodes well for me."

"Since when did you know how to use such big words, Inuyasha?" Sango asked, shocked.

He punched her in the arm. "Shut up."

"Be nice to me or I'll tell Miroku," Sango whined, rubbing her sore arm.

Inuyasha barked out a laugh. "As if that'll do anything."

"Eh… you're right. Let me rephrase that: be nice to me or I'll ruin all your chances with Kagome."

"As if I had any to begin with," he retorted.

"Aha!" Her yell startled him so much he nearly tripped. "Aha!"

"What the fuck, woman? What the hell was that for?"

"You thought about it!"

"I did what?"

"You thought about getting with her!"

"What?" he sputtered. "I did not!"

"You totally did!" Sango sang out, now skipping down the sidewalk back to her residence hall. "Don't you worry your pretty little head, Inuyasha. I got this under control."

"My head isn't pretty," he said after a pause. _That's the best comeback I got? I'm fucked._

"You're right, it's mostly empty if anything," came Sango's reply.

Inuyasha blinked, then scowled fiercely.

"Fuck you."

"You wish!"

"Keh!"


	7. Wanted: Babysitter

**Wanted: Babysitter**

* * *

Inuyasha eyed Sango warily. She had been wearing that creepy smile the entire walk back from the dining hall, and it was starting to rub off on him now. He was too jumpy, and he was acting paranoid.

 _This is dumb. She's not actually going to do anything; she's just messing with my head. Wait. What is she… OH SHIT, NO—_

Too late. Sango had already knocked on Kagome's door.

"Come in," he heard an angelic voice call out.

Sango grasped the knob and pushed her way into Kagome's room. Inuyasha didn't move.

 _I could run right now_ , he thought. _I can make it to the stairs before Sango notices I'm gone. Okay, here we go—_

"Inuyasha?"

He flinched.

"Inuyasha, come here."

He felt Sango's steely grip on his bicep, dragging him towards Kagome's door. He could see her studying them, one delicate eyebrow raised.

"Let go of me," he huffed, trying to pry his arm out of Sango's hold but, alas, she wasn't the school's arm wrestling champion for nothing.

"I have some stuff I need to do," Sango told Kagome as Inuyasha continued to struggle. "And I don't trust him in my room alone. Can you watch him while I'm gone?"

 _What?! Oh, no she did not. Fucking bitch! I'm not a fucking kid; I'm a badass motherfucker and I don't need a goddamn babysitter—_

"Sure," Kagome said. "I'm just doing homework, so as long as he behaves, it shouldn't be a problem."

 _I'm fucked_.


	8. The Importance of First Impressions

**The Importance of First Impressions**

* * *

"So, Inuyasha, right?"

He nodded.

"You can come into my room. You don't have to stand in the hallway," she told him with a light hearted laugh.

He blinked, then stepped gingerly into the room.

"Oh come on," she nagged. "I'm not _that_ scary, am I? Don't tell me you're afraid of someone like me."

"I'm not."

"Then come in! You're going to let mosquitoes into my room if you keep holding open the door like that."

Sighing, he stepped out of the way of the door and it closed behind him with a heavy thud. He was going to kill Sango once he got out of this.

Kagome waved her hand at a futon sitting across the room from her bed.

"Take a seat wherever," she said distractedly. Her eyes darted to her computer open in front of her, and she pursed her lips. Rapidly, she typed something and closed her laptop. Facing Inuyasha fully, she gave him a bright smile.

"What're you doing at an all-women's college?"

"Dropping off flowers for Sango," he muttered. _I have to keep it cool. I need to make a good first impression or else this'll be the most awkward scenario I've been in, and that's saying something considering I walked in on Sesshoumaru and Kagura in the shower. In_ MY _shower_.

"From Miroku?"

"Who the fuck else?" he retorted before he could stop himself. His eyes widened.

 _So much for a good first impression_ , he told himself dryly.

* * *

A/N: Ta da! Surprise double-update! Thank you for all your nice comments so far, I really appreciate them! I hope to be able update this story at least once a day (maybe even twice a day!)... maybe I'll even update a third chapter today ;)


	9. Great Minds Think Alike

**Great Minds Think Alike**

* * *

Turns out, he didn't actually need to apologize, and thank goodness for that. He would've ruined his streak! 4 years of no apologies, and still going strong. Still, it irked him that he had been so willing to lose the streak he'd worked so hard to maintain for a woman he'd only just met.

"Good point," Kagome said with a laugh at his retort. "Who else would be brave enough to send Sango flowers?"

Inuyasha smirked as they fell into a comfortable silence.

"You have to tell me," Kagome demanded, studying the rugged (yet boyishly handsome) man in front of her, "what exactly you did to make Sango not trust you alone in her room."

"How about no," he offered.

"I won't take no as an answer," she told him.

"Okay then, how about 'hell no'?"

"Nope."

"Oh, come on. It's not even that good of a story—"

For the second time that day, a shrill "aha!" reached his ears and, for the second time that day (and in his life) he jumped at the noise.

"What the hell, wench?"

"Don't call me that," she said smiling smugly. "You just admitted there _was_ a story."

"What… ah, fuck it. I can see why you and Sango are friends," he muttered irritably.

"Great minds think alike," she said with a wink. "Now, come on, tell me the story."

Inuyasha sighed in defeat. "I… I set off the fire alarm trying to make easy mac."

* * *

A/N: HA! Triple update! I'm going out of town this weekend and might not have time to update this tomorrow, so hopefully 3 updates today make up for that! :)


	10. Easy Mac and Broken Promises

**Easy Mac and Broken Promises**

* * *

By the time Kagome picked herself off of the floor and caught her breath (for she had laughed so hard she fell out of her chair), she was bright red from exertion.

"You did _what_?!" she asked for the thousandth time.

"I set off a fire alarm trying to make easy mac," Inuyasha repeated. _If only a hole would open up in the ground_ , he wished desperately. Anything to get him out of the room with the girl who wouldn't stop laughing.

"But… but how? It's literally called easy mac! The microwaveable kind, right?"

"Yep."

"What even did you do?"

Inuyasha sulked in his spot on her futon. Arms crossed and pouting, he reminded her of a petulant child. An attractive and very tall and very lean child, but a child nonetheless.

"You can tell me," she said in what she hoped was a comforting and trustworthy voice. "I won't judge."

"Yeah right," he shot back. "Says the girl who spent the past ten minutes laughing her fucking head off."

"I promise! I won't do that this time." She schooled her features into a stern and serious look.

Inuyasha eyed her warily. _If I tell her, she'll think I'm an idiot. Oh wait, pretty sure she already thinks I am anyway._

Sighing, he turned away from her so he wouldn't have to see her reaction.

"Promise?"

"Promise. I won't laugh."

"I… I forgot to add water before microwaving it."

Unsurprisingly, she burst out laughing again.


	11. Definitions of Wonderful

**Definitions of Wonderful**

* * *

"What's with your socks?" Inuyasha asked.

They were sitting in friendly silence, partially because Kagome was too sore from laughing to make small talk.

"Hm?" Kagome glanced down at her feet. "Oh, these? What's wrong with them?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ with them," Inuyasha said, hands flailing as he tried to think of a diplomatic way to tell her that her socks were just plain weird. "They're just…"

"Unique?" she suggested.

"Uh, yeah. Sure."

Kagome wiggled her feet around and leaned back in her desk chair. "I think life is more fun with crazy socks. Like, black socks and white socks are functional, but where's the fun in them? I like having socks like these."

"Socks? You have multiple crazy socks?"

"Multiple? Oh, honey, please. I have hundreds."

She stood up and walked across the room to her dresser. When she yanked open the bottom drawer, Inuyasha's jaw dropped to the ground.

Nestled in the old wood was an explosion of socks. There were socks everywhere; just layers upon layers of random designs and animals and patterns and miscellaneous food items (?) and it was too much. Inuyasha closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"Isn't it wonderful?"

"You and I seem to have very different definitions of wonderful," he grumbled. Yet, even though she was obviously out of her mind, he couldn't help but find her obsession with socks endearing.

 _I'm whipped_ , Inuyasha thought miserably. _At least she's cute_.


	12. Murderous Matchmaker

**Murderous Matchmaker**

* * *

He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?"

"Miroku?"

"Sango?"

"Yes! You won't believe what I just did."

"Sango, hold on. Are you actually calling me?"

"Don't read too much into it," she snapped irritably. "I'm calling because I actually have something to tell you, not because I wanted to call you, okay?"

"Sure, darling Sango. Please, do continue."

She sniffed daintily. "Inuyasha has a crush on Kagome."

There was a long pause.

"Say that… one more time?"

"Inuyasha, your best friend, has a crush on Kagome, who happens to be my best friend."

Silence.

Sango waited for a reaction. And waited. And waited.

"Mir—?" she started to ask before a loud thud resonated in her ears.

"Sorry, sorry," came Miroku's breathless voice a few seconds later. "You kinda surprised me there and I dropped my phone."

"Idiot," Sango muttered.

"How did you find out? He'd never say that out loud!"

"A woman's intuition," Sango replied haughtily. "We know everything."

Miroku didn't doubt her.

"Inuyasha and Kagome, huh," he mused. "I… I can actually see those two getting together. I mean, their arguments would be one hell of a fight."

"I know!" Sango nearly squealed. She cleared her throat and flipped her hair behind her back. "I know," she said again, this time much calmer. "And that is why I've decided to play matchmaker."

"He's going to kill you," came Miroku's response.

"He can try, but he can't; I'd kick his ass anyday."

And Miroku didn't doubt that either.


	13. Skimpy Wolves

**Skimpy Wolves**

* * *

"Do you play any sports?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Got kicked off the soccer team back in high school and never picked up another sport," he said.

"Kicked off for doing what?" Kagome asked.

She was still sitting at her desk and he on the futon, but her undivided attention was on him now. He tried not to fidget to show how nervous he was under her scrutiny but, to his utter annoyance, ended up fidgeting anyway.

"I might've punched a guy in the face," he mumbled quickly. Dammit, what was with this woman and making him tell all his secrets? _Next thing you know she'll try to ask for my credit card number and knowing me, I'd give it to her_ , he fumed.

"You did not."

"I did."

"Who?"

"Some asshole named Koga. He totally deserved it—"  
"Koga? You don't mean Koga Okami, do you?"

Inuyasha looked up at her in surprise. "How do you know that skimpy wolf?"

To his further astonishment, Kagome actually blushed and looked away. She began to pick at her nails and avoided his questioning gaze.

"It's… nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Oh, I'm worrying all right," he said. "Tell me!"

"I don't have to tell you anything," she retorted.

"I didn't have to either, but I still told you about the easy mac and punching Koga in the face," he argued.

She froze at his words, then slumped in defeat.

"Fine, but don't judge," she warned.

"I won't."

"He was… my ex-boyfriend."

* * *

A/N: sorry for taking so long between each update! I'm so overloaded with assignments right now :( it's the week before spring break and honestly, you'd think professors would go a little easier on you... nope. Alas, hopefully I can at least update once a day! ty to everyone who's been so supportive so far 3 3


	14. Impossible

**Impossible**

* * *

 _That's it. This bitch is officially insane._

"Your WHAT?" Inuyasha repeated, denial settling into his mind.

"Look, it was _years_ ago, okay?" She bit her bottom lip, embarrassed.

"Still! He's such an ass! What did you see in him?!"

"He was nice to me!" Kagome defended weakly. "And don't look at me like that! You said you weren't going to judge."

"And you said you weren't going to laugh earlier," Inuyasha pointed out. She pouted when she realized he was right.

 _Officially insane and fucking adorable_ , his mind reworded.

She flipped her hair impatiently. "He wasn't that bad."

Inuyasha snorted. " _That_ bad," he scoffed. "That asshole kicked me in the balls and made it _my_ fault! What a dickhead."

 _Great. Why don't you just woo her with your eloquent language_ , his brain suggested. _She'll definitely fall for you now._

"Can you prove it was _his_ fault?"

"Well…"

"Exactly. So, he wasn't that bad," Kagome concluded.

"Feh," Inuyasha spat, annoyed that her logic had lost him. "He was a dick, is a dick, and will always be a dick."

Kagome rolled her eyes and shook her head, exasperated. "You're impossible," she told him.

 _Impossibly irresistible_ , he thought smugly. Out loud, he said, "So I've been told; tons of people have said I'm the most impossible person they've ever met and they're damn right I am."

"And so humble too," she muttered under her breath.

He smirked, sending her a playful wink, and secretly celebrated the light pink that coated her cheeks.


	15. Hell Hath No Fury

**Hell Hath No Fury**

* * *

"So what sport do you play?"

"I don't _play_ anything. I swim, and I'm an archer."

Inuyasha scoffed. "Swimming isn't a sport," he said.

Wrong move.

"Excuse me?"

Her voice was quiet, but even Inuyasha's dense head recognized her suddenly neutral expression on her face. _She's pissed,_ he realized. _What did I even say?_

"What?" he asked, genuinely confused at her sudden anger. "It isn't!"

"Okay, that's it. Listen here, you little shit." His eyes widened slightly at her choice of words. "You think swimming isn't a sport? Ugh, that's such a guy thing to say! You have NO idea how much work goes into training. I spend HOURS of my day doing grueling practices, and that's not even including strength training! Don't you dare tell me swimming isn't a sport unless you've tried it because I can guarantee you won't last a MINUTE in one of our practices!" She glared at him, breathing heavily as she caught her breath.

 _Whoa_. _That was… hot_ , his brain commented. _A little terrifying, but definitely hot._ If he had been anyone else, he probably would've been trembling. But, he was Inuyasha, and Inuyasha didn't tremble in the wrath of small women. To prove this point to himself, he said, "Fine, but to real athletes, it still isn't a sport."

"You. Did. NOT."

"I did, actually."

"I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU! How dumb can you be? Did you not listen to ANYTHING I JUST TOLD YOU? YOU ARE SO INFURIATING I CAN'T—"

Silence.

* * *

A/N: ta da! Here's another double update to make up for my lacking updates! :) On another (happier) note, spring break is in 3 days!


	16. Murder?

**Murder?**

* * *

"Wait, hold on."

"Why? What's going on—?"

"Sh!"

Sango pressed her ear harder against the door. What just happened? One second Kagome was yelling her head off about swimming and the next, the room was eerily silent. She took a hesitant step back and brought her phone back to her ear.

"It's silent," she whispered. "She was yelling—"

"I know, I could hear her," Miroku interrupted.

"And now it's silent. Do you think she murdered him?"

"I wouldn't blame her, in all honesty. He can be pretty infuriating at times."

Sango sighed and began to pace back and forth in the hallway. "I can't defend her if I know she did it!" She hissed to Miroku. "What do I do?"

"First of all, you need to calm down. I highly doubt someone as lovely as Kagome would commit a murder. Second of all, even if she did, he probably deserved it. Third of all, I'm not in law school for nothing; I'll take care of it."

The sound of his smooth voice soothed over Sango's frayed nerves. Calmer, she stopped pacing and sat down against the wall at the opposite end of the hallway as Kagome's room.

"Okay," she said into the phone. "I'm counting on you to be her lawyer, and you better prove her innocence."

"I'll do my best," Miroku pledged.

"You better," Sango warned. "If my best friend ends up in jail, your remains end up in there too. Understand?"

Miroku gulped. "Y-ye-yep. U-un-understood."

* * *

A/N: HA! Triple update! I just got back from rehearsal and I had the urge to write this out and publish it! Didn't have much time to edit this, so forgive me if there are errors :)


	17. Silence and Bad Excuses

**Silence and Bad Excuses**

* * *

Blissful silence.

 _She finally stopped,_ he thought as the ringing in his head subsided. _I thought I was going to lose my eardrums. Wait, why exactly did she stop yelling again? She was on a roll and…_

Something registered in his mind.

 _Oh, shit, no,_ he whimpered.

Was the silence worth the painful death he was about to endure? Probably not. But, at least he would die knowing what Kagome's lips tasted like.

Apparently, in a move of absolute desperation to preserve his hearing and what remained of his brain cells and sanity, he had jumped up from the futon and made his way across the room.

 _It was all her fault_ , Inuyasha cried desperately, pulling himself away from her lips and studying her face. _She was the one who was yapping like a damn bitch! It's all her fault; she can't blame me for it! I had to stop her or else I was going to lose it…_ Or maybe he just wanted an excuse to kiss her. His brain weighed the two options for a fraction of a second before deciding, _nope, it was definitely her fault._

As he watched, her eyes fluttered open. Her lips were parted and her cheeks flushed. Her hand, which had moved to the desk to brace herself when Inuyasha suddenly appeared before her, was clenched in a fist so tight that her hand turning white. Her other hand drifted subconsciously to her lips. Her eyes focused on him and narrowed.

 _Oh, fuck._


	18. I'm Going In

**I'm Going In**

* * *

"Still nothing," Sango whispered impatiently into the phone. "Can I go in now?"

"Sango, darling, please," Miroku begged. "Just give it a minute! I'm sure they're all perfectly fine—"

"They're not fine if they're _dead_ ," she hissed.

Miroku had warned her from barging into Kagome's eerily silent room. So, like an idiot, she stood outside her best friend's door and did nothing. Sango leaned against the wall, legs crossed and tapping her feet rapidly on the turquoise carpet. The muted thuds comforted her slightly, but not enough to get rid of the bad feeling mulling around her.

"Miroku," Sango whispered into the silent phone.

"Yes, darling?" came his instant response.

"Call me that again and you'll die," she said casually. "And, what if she isn't okay?"

"I'm sure she'll be okay."

"But—?"

A crash from within the room cut her off. Sango's eyes widened.

"What was that?" Miroku asked sharply.

"I don't know, but it was a really loud crash," Sango replied breathlessly. "I'm going to go in there."

There was some incoherent mumbling from Miroku's end, which she expertly ignored. "At least promise me you'll be careful," he said after a few moments.

"Yeah, yeah," Sango agreed, obviously not paying attention to him.

"I'm not very reassured."

What would be the most effective way to break down the door? She could just open the door with the doorknob. Right.

"I'm going in," she said as she threw open the door…

And instantly regretted it.


	19. Accusations and Confrontations

**Accusations and Confrontations**

* * *

Inuyasha stood in front of her, his eyes panicked. The silence in the room was more than slightly uncomfortable.

Kagome gulped. "Did you just…?"

"Yeah." He bit his bottom lip nervously— Kagome swooned a little— and nodded. "Yes, apparently I just did."

"Why?"

"Hell if I know," he grumbled. Then he turned towards her and accused, "it was all your fault!"

Startled, she pointed at herself. "My… fault?"

"Yes!" He threw his hands up in the air to accentuate his point and dramatically began pacing back and forth. "You were talking and yelling and I was going to lose my mind and so I did the only thing I could to shut you up!"

Kagome opened her mouth indignantly. "You could've asked!"

Inuyasha paused and frowned. "Not as effective," he declared after a moment.

"Or you just really wanted to kiss me," she muttered under her breath. To her surprise, Inuyasha stumbled over his own feet at her words, knocking some trinkets from Kagome's dresser onto the floor with a crash. Something clicked in her mind.

He wouldn't meet her gaze, so she walked over to him and placed her hands on the sides of his face.

"If it makes you feel better, I wanted you to kiss me," she admitted softly. His gaze rose to meet her eyes and she blushed at how straightforward she was. Then he was leaning in and she copied him until she could feel his breath on her skin…

Then the door slammed open.

* * *

A/N: Thank you so much to Grapefruit Wannabe, Strawberrycremee, leyareyaashraf, and everyone else who has reviewed this so far! You guys are so sweet 3 Also, on an unrelated note, I get to go home for spring break today (finally)!


	20. Interrogation

**Interrogation**

* * *

"I really don't want you to, but I guess you can come in," Kagome sighed resignedly, gesturing for the gaping Sango to step into her room.

Upon slamming open the door, Sango found her best friend and Inuyasha mere millimeters away from each other, faces angled as if they were going to kiss. At the sight of her, though, they had sprung apart faster than was humanly possible and both had turned the shade of an overripe tomato. Inuyasha, awkward as he was, wasted no time in sprinting out of Kagome's room, down the hall, and disappearing into the stairwell, leaving behind a shell-shocked Sango and embarrassed Kagome.

"What…?"

"Don't ask," Kagome muttered. Sango stepped into the room and took a dainty seat on Kagome's bed.

"Did I just—?"

"Yes. Yes, you did."

"Wow," Sango said in awe. "I didn't expect that to go so well."

"What?"

"Inuyasha had like, a crush on you or something, so I decided to play matchmaker and it actually worked…?" Sango's voice trailed upwards, turning her statement into a question for the (still) furiously blushing woman in front of her.

"Well, it worked, alright," Kagome mumbled, ducking her head.

"You have to tell me everything," Sango cried, recovering from her temporary paralysis.

"Sango…"

"Don't 'Sango' me," she insisted. "Spill! Every single detail. I want them all. Don't even think about leaving out anything!"

" _Every_ detail?"

"Of course!"

"Yes, of course," a crackling voice echoed gleefully.

Ah, right. Miroku was still on the phone.


	21. Denial: Part One

**Denial: Part One**

* * *

 _It doesn't matter_.

Inuyasha sat on the train back to his campus in grouchy silence. His lips, to his utter annoyance, were still slightly tingly from their adventure earlier.

 _Damn lips_ , he snarled. The old lady sitting across from him squeaked in fear at the ferocious expression on his face and scuttled to the another open seat as far away from him as possible.

 _Get a grip_ , he demanded. But even as he told himself to forget about Kagome, his heart fluttered at the mention of her name—

 _NO. I'm a badass motherfucker,_ he reassured himself. _My heart does not "flutter" whenever I say that bitch's name._

Too late; his heart was already fluttering again.

Sighing in agony, he dropped his head to his hands, his long black hair spreading out like a curtain around him. At least this way he had some privacy.

 _I'm never going back to that damn school again_ , he vowed. Not that he would need to, anyway. _This way, I'll never have to run into that bitch again. She wasn't even that cute_ , he tried to tell himself. But the imprint of Kagome's smiling face warmed him up and he found himself almost smiling. Furious, he bit his lip until he bled, but she was still all he could think about.

 _Fuck_ , he sighed. _I'm whipped. My life is over. Good bye, Inuyasha. I'm turning into fucking Miroku._

And speaking of that lecherous bastard, Inuyasha thought vehemently: _next time, fucking deliver your own damn flowers_.


	22. Denial: Part Two

**Denial: Part Two**

* * *

"It was nothing, really," Kagome insisted again to Sango, whose face quite obviously signified she didn't believe a single word Kagome was saying. "All we did was talk!"

"Yeah, _talk_ ," Sango said, rolling her eyes and curling her fingers in air quotations. "I walked in on you guys literally millimeters apart. Is that how people these days talk?"

Kagome blushed and turned away. "It's not what it looks like," she argued weakly. Even as she tried to deny it, her heart began to beat a little louder at the thought of him. Even his angry scowl and constant cursing was endearing.

"Okay, fine, I get it. You don't want to tell me. I'll be a good friend and I won't bother you, because I know you're going to end up telling me anyway." Sango sat down on the futon where Inuyasha had been mere minutes before. "But isn't it weird that his hair is almost as long as yours?"

"Eh," Kagome said with a shrug, unwilling to admit that she thought his hair was actually kind of hot. "It's whatever."

"Ah, young love," Sango sighed happily. "I'm so good."

"Good at what?" Kagome snapped. "It's not like he and I are a thing or anything! Didn't you see how he sprinted out of here the first chance he got?"

"But—"

Kagome shook her head firmly. "Nothing happened between us, and at nothing it'll stay," she said with finality, ignoring the pang of pain in her chest.


	23. Denial: Part Three

**Denial: Part Three**

* * *

"Why can't you just get over it and admit that you're attracted to him?"

Sango was at it again. She was following Kagome around the dining hall, insisting that she own up to her own feelings and admit she liked Inuyasha. So far, Kagome had tried to ignore her but it was getting hard.

"Are you afraid? What're you so afraid of—?"

"And what about you?" Kagome snapped suddenly, slamming her hands on the wooden table and shooting up in her seat. Luckily, the dining hall was too noisy for her actions to draw too much attention.

"What… me?" Sango asked, clearly taken aback.

"Yes, you. Why can't you own up to _your_ feelings, huh?"

"My feelings?"

Kagome sat back down, glaring at the woman across from her. "I know, and you know, that you find Miroku attractive," she said, raising her voice as Sango began to angrily stutter at her. "Why can't you own up to that? You can't go around ordering me to admit I like Inuyasha— which I don't— when you can't even admit you like Miroku!"

"Because I don't," Sango said, deadly casual. "He's just a friend."

"Friend, my ass," Kagome scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Kagome. Seriously. He's just a friend, okay?"

"Fine. Whatever you say," Kagome said, her tone indicating Sango's denial was clearly _not_ fine. But her friend was growing red in the face, and she was getting that look in her eyes she got before she hit someone; so she backed off.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for being so late with all these updates! Spring break has been so lowkey yet simultaneously busy... (I got 10 inches of my hair cut today and I'm going to donate it! That makes 44 inches total so far!) Here's a double update so you don't hate me as much :) 3


	24. Food?

**Food?**

* * *

In the following weeks, Inuyasha had pretty much forgotten about Kagome and what happened in her room. By the time he got back to his own college campus, he had promised he would never think of her again. So far, he was doing pretty well.

He spent his days doing what he normally did: skipping the occasional class, spending the night with girls who were actually his type, and badgering Miroku.

At this particular moment, the girl he'd been with just left. He was stretched out on his bed, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

 _Fuck yeah_ , he thought arrogantly. _She'll be crawling back in no time, for sure._ As he laid there, his stomach grumbled. _I should eat_ , he thought. Then he glanced down at his body and grimaced at the purple spots decorating the area around his neck and throat. _Maybe not the dining hall_ , he decided. Instead, he grabbed his phone from his desk.

"Hello?"

"Can you bring me food?"

"Why hello to you too, Inuyasha," Miroku said dryly.

"Food," Inuyasha repeated.

"Inuyasha, I'm not even on campus."

"Oh come on," Inuyasha groaned.

"I'm with Sango at Kagome's swim meet, remember?"

 _Kagome_.

Inuyasha blinked a few times. Kagome. Who was—?

It all came rushing back to him: her laugh, the kiss, and even her avocado socks. He groaned again.

 _So much for not thinking about her_ , he thought miserably. _Why did I have to call him? I should've just gotten my own damn food. Fuck me._


	25. Swim Meets and Slaps

**Swim Meets and Slaps**

* * *

"She misses him," Sango whispered conspiratorially to Miroku. "She keeps denying it, but I can tell."

"And I'm positive Inuyasha misses her," Miroku added.

They were sitting in the stands at the college pool for Kagome's meet. The stands were so crowded that Sango was practically sitting in Miroku's lap. Her cheeks were stained red; she blamed it on the humidity.

Kagome was on deck, dressed in the school colors: white and green. Surrounded by her teammates, Kagome led their team cheer that resonated through the air.

"We should try to get them together again," Sango said, eyeing Kagome as she started to walk towards the pool for her race.

"I agree," Miroku said, gleefully staring at the swimmers in their swimming suits.

"Great. We'll come with something; Kagome's about to go!"

"Women's 100 meter butterfly," the announcer called into his microphone. "Heat one."

The official blew her whistle 4 short times, then one long time. Kagome and the rest of her heat, consisting of 3 teammates and 4 swimmers from the other team, stepped onto the starting block.

"Take your mark," the other official barked into a speaker. The swimmers bent down and gripped the blocks. Sango leaned forward in anticipation.

 _Beep_.

"GO KAGOME," Sango screamed as the swimmers dove elegantly from the blocks and streamlined into the water.

Miroku was too absorbed by the swimming suits to notice the race. Was it legal to wear those skimpy things in public? Apparently.

He grinned lecherously.

Sango slapped him.

"Pervert."


	26. Studying and Trickery

**Studying and Trickery**

* * *

"You miss her."

"No."

"Yes!"

"I don't!"

Miroku sighed, throwing his best friend an exasperated glare. "You definitely miss her," he said.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and snarled, "no!"

The two were sitting at a table outside the campus center, enjoying the warm rays of sunshine. Scattered on the table were sheets of paper, textbooks, and binders. So far, their "study session" hadn't been productive at all. The past twenty minutes consisted of Miroku insisting that Inuyasha did miss Kagome, and Inuyasha stubbornly denying everything.

"I don't miss that wench," Inuyasha declared with finality. "No way in hell I'd even think about her again." _I'm such a fucking liar… But Miroku doesn't need to know that_.

"Fine, fine," Miroku said, holding up his hands. "You win. You don't miss her at all."

Inuyasha smirked and went back to highlighting his textbook. "You're damn right I don't."

Miroku shook his head and returned to reading his notes. If only he could find a way to prove to Inuyasha that he did miss Kagome…

A devious smile spread across his lips. As quietly and nonchalantly as he could, he started to stretch, swiveling his neck around. As his gaze passed behind Inuyasha, his eyes widened. His friend glanced up, eyebrow raised.

"Wha—?"

"There's Kagome!"

Before he could stop himself, he sat up and looked around. "Where?"

And when he turned back to face Miroku, and saw the smirk on his face, he slammed his head into the table. _Fucking dammit_.


	27. Dinner Plans

**Dinner Plans**

* * *

"I have a plan," Sango said triumphantly. Miroku, who was sitting across from her, looked up from his phone.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. It'll work, too."

"You sound really sure."

"I _am_ sure."

"I'll take your word for it, then."

"You better."

A comfortable silence filled the room before Sango spoke again.

"Don't you want to know what it is?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, I would. Do tell," Miroku said.

"Okay." Her eyes sparkled with mirth and Miroku felt his heart flip and flop. "So, we have to go on a date."

"Wait, what?"

"Listen to the whole thing!" Sango blushed furiously. "I meant a pretend date. Like, a pretend double date, okay? I wouldn't want to go on a date with you," she added hurriedly. The blush on her cheeks and panicked hand motions seemed to say otherwise.

"Okay…"

"And we bring along Kagome and Inuyasha, and ditch them at the last minute so—"

"So both they and we can go on a date alone," Miroku added in smoothly.

"Exactly!" Sango exclaimed. Then his words register in her mind. "What?! No! That's not the plan, we're just trying to get them alone—"

"But if they're alone, doesn't that mean we'll be alone too?"

"Yes, but—"

"Then why can't we go on a date? Why do they get to have all the fun?"

"This isn't about us! It's about them—"

"Just go to a celebratory dinner with me, please?"

And how could she resist?

"Fine."

And secretly, she beamed.


	28. Sneaky Sango

**Sneaky Sango**

* * *

"Please, Kagome, _please_?"

"I can't see why _I_ have to accompany you on your date with _Miroku_ ," Kagome said again.

"I already told you," Sango said with an impatient huff. "He's not trustworthy—"

"Then why did you agree to go on a date with him?" Kagome muttered.

"And," Sango continued, ignoring her best friend. "I just want you there in case something bad happens. Please? For me?"

"What happened to being able to handle yourself in any situation?"

Sango could feel her resolve crumbling and inwardly gave herself a pat on the back. "It's just a precaution, just in case something goes wrong."

"I don't think I've ever seen you act so cautiously," Kagome said, intently studying her blushing best friend.

Sango winced slightly. She was about to play her ultimate card, and she would probably regret it.

"I know," she admitted. She was doing a great job of acting, though. "It's just… I'm nervous. I've been waiting for this moment for so long and I'm worried something will go wrong."

Kagome sat up instantly. "You just admitted that—"

"I know," Sango snapped. "Just please come with me. Please?"

Kagome grinned. "Anything for Sango," she sang happily. "I'm just happy you're finally admitting that you like him. Well, come on then, we have to get you ready! I'm so excited for you!"

As Kagome bounced out of earshot, Sango smiled evilly. "I'm so excited for you, too," she whispered under her breath.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for not updating yesterday! I spent like 13 hours in NYC with my family, and was too exhausted to do anything when we got back. On an unrelated note, today is the last day (aka my last 1.5 hours at home) of Spring Break and I'm going back to school in 1.5 hours!


	29. Miserable and Malicious Miroku

**Miserable and Malicious Miroku**

* * *

"You just can't handle Sango, can you?" Inuyasha asked again.

Miroku clenched and unclenched his fists, praying to any deity listening to make the infuriating person next to him _shut up_.

"That's why you wanted me to come with you," Inuyasha continued to crow arrogantly. "What a wimp! Can't even handle your own woman."

Granted, Miroku hadn't really thought things through, so technically he had brought this upon himself. Had he considered the fact that Inuyasha was not Kagome and would thus react differently to the tactic that Sango used? No. Should he have known? Hell yes. But it was too late now; after letting slip that he wanted Inuyasha to come as "moral support" he was dealing with the consequences. The entire trip to the restaurant had consisted thus far of Inuyasha mocking him, teasing him, and joking about him.

" _I_ can handle Sango," Inuyasha announced, puffing out his chest.

Miroku closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He counted to ten and told himself to find inner peace.

"Hell, I could probably handle _two_ Sangos," Inuyasha added after a minute.

That's it.

"Oh, yes, I'm _sure_ you can handle all those Sangos," Miroku said in a false tone. "But can you handle a single _Kagome_?"

"Wha—?"

Miroku waited to his words to sink in. Three. Two. One.

"Wait, of course I can," Inuyasha spluttered.

"Sure, sure," Miroku agreed.

Feeling much better, he continued to walk towards the restaurant, leaving a floundering Inuyasha behind him.


	30. What a Great Friend

**What a Great Friend**

* * *

The moment Kagome stepped into the building, she knew something was up. First of all, the "fancy restaurant" Sango had mentioned was no more than a local club. A little annoyed that she had dressed up for nothing, she continued to follow Sango deeper and deeper into the club. Second of all, why did Sango keep glancing back at her like that? It was driving her a little crazy.

"Oh, there!" she heard Sango call over the DJ's current song choice. "I see Miroku! See you later, Kagome!"

Before Kagome could say anything, her "friend" dashed off into the crowd and disappeared.

"What a great friend I have," she muttered under her breath. Feeling overdressed and a little ridiculous, she made her way over to one of the empty seats at the bar and sat down. Eyes scanning the crowd for signs of Miroku or Sango, Kagome rested her elbows on the slightly sticky table and sighed.

"Fuck it all, I should just leave. Eh… Maybe not. Sango might need me." A slight pause. "Ha. As if; Sango can handle herself. I really should just leave." Her eyes caught a blurry glimpse of Sango before someone else blocked her view. "Actually I think I'll be a good friend and stay."

Kagome leaned back on her stool and stretched.

"I'm such a good friend," she praised herself dryly.

Kagome was too busy complimenting herself to notice the wide-eyed, long-haired man staring awestruck at her from across the room.

* * *

A/N: to the guest reviewer who requested the chapters to be longer- trust me, I sometimes wish they could be too, but I did impose a 250 word limit just for fun, and I'm going to stick with it


	31. Balls, Persuasiveness, and Other Lies

**Balls, Persuasiveness, and Other Lies**

* * *

"Do you think they've seen each other yet?"

Sango craned her neck to find Kagome, who had taken a seat at the bar. Unfortunately, she was alone.

"Not yet," Sango reported back to Miroku, who was a little too close to her for her comfort. But, considering they were in the middle of a very crowded dance floor, oh well. She tried to ignore him.

"I think he's seen her," Miroku whispered loudly over the music.

"Oh?"

"He looks like he's been hit by lightning three times in a row. So, yeah, I think he caught sight of her."

Sango twisted her neck the other way and, indeed, Inuyasha was staring with his mouth hanging open in Kagome's direction. She giggled and Miroku smiled.

"Do you think he has the balls to go up to her?" she asked.

"Eh," Miroku responded with a shrug. "Probably not, but I can try to persuade him."

"I think you may need to," Sango said. "He still looks shell-shocked and it's been at least five minutes since he last moved."

Miroku chuckled and moved a little closer to her to avoid being bulldozed by the other dancers. "I can be very persuasive," he said with a wink.

Sango blushed and rolled her eyes. "Inuyasha has balls, you're persuasive… what other lies are you going to tell me tonight?"

"Hey! I _am_ persuasive, and just so you know," he exclaimed indignantly, raising his voice just as the music quieted dramatically, "I have balls too!"


	32. Kagome's Good Decision

**Kagome's Good Decision**

* * *

"I have balls too!"

Kagome burst out laughing. She had no idea what was going on, but she had caught sight of Sango and Miroku a few seconds earlier and had overheard his indignant yell.

"I don't want to know what they were talking about, but my goodness, that's precious," she muttered to no one in particular.

"You know what else is precious?" a familiar voice asked behind her.

She spun around quickly, nearly falling off her stool, to find Inuyasha leaning against the bar next to her.

"What?" she prompted, looking a little confused yet pleased to see him.

"You."

"Ha," she muttered. "You're _so_ smooth."

"Smoother than Miroku?" he asked, sliding onto the stool next to her.

"Anyone's smoother than Miroku," she countered.

"True, but he's smooth enough that he managed to convince me to come to this dumb place."

Kagome looked over at him, surprised. "That's what Sango did to me, too!"

He quirked his eyebrows at her. "Are we being set up?"

Kagome looked away quickly, hoping he didn't catch her blush. "Knowing Miroku and Sango, it's not entirely impossible," she murmured shyly.

"Ah. That explains a lot."

"It really does, doesn't it? I don't know how I didn't see it before now."

He nodded in agreement. She took advantage of the lull in the conversation to look him over. A red dress shirt, black dress pants, and a silver tie. He looked great, and Kagome was suddenly very happy she had decided to stay.


	33. Deja Vu

**Deja Vu**

* * *

"So, long time no see! How've you been?"

The pair had moved to a table in a back hallway to avoid the chaos inside the club. The still air felt nice on the back of Inuyasha's neck, where his long hair had begun to stick to the sweaty skin.

"I've been fine," he said. "You?"

"Okay; nothing spectacular."

 _It's been… a lot of months_ , he reminded himself, not bothering to do the math. _She hasn't changed a bit. She looks great though_.

Her phone buzzed and she checked it, a blush rising to her cheeks as she read the text message.

"What?" he asked, curious.

"Nothing," she said quickly, shoving her phone into the pocket of her cardigan. "Don't worry about it."

"Dammit, wench, now I'm _going_ to worry about it! What was it?"

She shot him a stern look before responding, "it was Sango, and that's all I'm going to tell you."

"What did she say?"

"Did you not hear me? I told you that was all I'm going to tell you!"

"I never listen! Tell me!"

"Ugh, you're impossible," Kagome groaned. "I don't have to tell you anything, okay? This is my private business with Sango and it doesn't have anything to do with you." Her tone indicated otherwise, however. "Don't go around demanding that you have the right to—"

"Not again," he said, exasperated. He leaned in. "Do I need to shut you up again? Like last time?"

A slight pause.

A meek, "yes please."


	34. Happy to be Alive

**Happy to be Alive**

* * *

Sango breathed a sigh of relief. All that dancing had taken her breath away (and no, she told herself, it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she had been pressed up against Miroku for most of it).

"Are… you okay?"

Miroku emerged from the shadows behind her. She nodded, shaking slightly as the wind wisped her hair around her face.

"What's wrong?"

"I… I haven't seen Kagome in a while," Sango stuttered quietly. "I wonder if she's okay."

"I'm sure she's fine," Miroku reassured her. "Inuyasha wouldn't hurt her, and he'd rather die than have anyone else hurt her."

Sango sighed. "I know, but I still worry."

"You're a great friend," Miroku told her, slinging his arm gently across her shoulders. In silence, they stared off into the distance while the chaos behind them resonated mutely in the background.

"I hope they're okay," Sango murmured a few minutes later.

"I'm sure they're fine," Miroku whispered.

"But are you _sure_?" Sango pressed. "Would you bet your life on it?"

Miroku pursed his lips. "Probably," he said after a while.

"Oh," Sango said. "Well, I hope they're okay because it would truly be a shame if you died."

"Why," Miroku said, feigning shock. "That's probably the nicest thing you've said to me!"

Sango merely rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. Miroku chuckled and swept her into a tight hug.

"I'm glad I'm alive," he whispered into her ear. "Because I get to be with you."


	35. Great Minds Think Alike (II)

**Great Minds Think Alike (II)**

* * *

"I feel bad leaving without letting them know, though," Kagome said for the hundredth time, wringing the seams of her top nervously.

"For fuck's sake," Inuyasha nearly snarled, coming to a stop. "They're going to be _fine_."

"But are you sure? Can you guarantee it?" Seeing the snarky look on his face, she quickly added, "would you bet a life's supply of ramen on it?"

His face fell, and she sighed.

"I'm sorry," she said dejectedly into the silence. "I worry too much, don't I."

Inuyasha scratched the back of his neck. "You're a good friend," he admitted.

She blushed and shook her head. "Not really," she said humbly. "I'm only alright."

"You're more than alright," he whispered huskily, spinning her into his arms and kissing her lightly on the forehead. "Don't ever say anything like that again. You're perfect, okay? And don't you forget it."

Before she could respond— not that she could've; her brain had melted away— he released her and started walking again.

"Shouldn't we at least text them that we're leaving?"

"Do whatever the fuck you want, woman. Just make it fast; I'm starving!"

"You're always starving," Kagome muttered under her breath, pulling out her phone and typing a quick text to Sango. Before she could send it, her phone buzzed.

 _Didn't want u to worry, so jsyk Miroku and I are leaving. Don't wait for us._

She grinned.

"What're you smiling about?" Inuyasha called impatiently.

"Nothing!" she called back. "It's just… great minds think alike."

* * *

A/N: just so you know, jsyk=just so you know. I know, that was extremely redundant but as redundant as I am, I did it. (ha)


	36. Well, That Escalated Quickly

**Well, That Escalated Quickly**

* * *

"We just went and got some ramen, nothing fancy."

Kagome and Sango were sitting in Sango's room catching up on the previous night's events after they had split up.

"Ramen?"

"Ramen," Kagome confirmed.

"Jeez, that's such an Inuyasha thing to do," Sango said with a laugh. "Miroku and I went to the arcade."

"Arcade? They still have arcades around here?"

"Yeah, and apparently I kick ass at the games they have. I won a bet, and look what he got me!"

Sango lunged across her bed and pulled up a stuffed animal. It was a cat demon with two tails and a black diamond on her forehead.

"Aw, she's adorable," Kagome cooed.

"Her name is Kirara," Sango said with a light blush.

"That's really sweet of him to get Kirara for you."

"Did Inuyasha do anything for you?" Sango asked, trying to change the topic.

Kagome frowned, thinking. "He… well, I… actually, no. I mean, he said some nice things about me, but he didn't _get_ me anything. Actually, I think he got me a napkin when I spilled water on myself."

Sango threw her head back and laughed. "Again," she said after she caught her breath. "Such an Inuyasha thing to do."

"Yeah, yeah. Are you and him meeting up again any time soon?"

"Eh, just grabbing some lunch together. Casual. What about you?"

"Well…" Kagome fiddled with the edge of Sango's comforter. "He… invited me to have dinner..."

"Aw!"  
"…with his parents."

"…yikes."

"Tell me about it."

* * *

A/N: sorry for not updating yesterday! I had so many things to do and I kind of forgot about this :( But it's okay! only a few more chapters and we'll be done. Speaking of which: sequel or nah? IF I choose to continue this story line (or whatever remains of it) I'm thinking of doing a 500 or 1000 word limit per chapter because 250 is too damn hard to do. Like, seriously, this A/N is practically almost 250 words. Not really, but you get my point. TL;DR: sequel or nah?


	37. Settling Down

**Settling Down**

* * *

"With your _parents_?! Are you insane? You've known her for, what, a week?"

"Technically more, since I first met her when I dropped off flowers for you at Sango's—"

"Still!" Miroku paced back and forth in his room, hands ripping at his hair. "You can't just invite a girl to meet your parents after a single date! You'll be stuck with her forever! You'd be settled!"

"Yeah? So?"  
Miroku paused his steps, then looked his best friend in the eye. "You're not upset," he observed.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Not really," he said nonchalantly.

"Whatever happened to ' _I'm never settling down, that ain't for me_ '?"

"I've changed."

"Wow." Miroku sat down at his desk chair and stared at his friend in shock. "Did Kagome give you a potion or something? Since when did you get so calm about settling down?"

"Since I met Kagome, and no, she didn't poison me, you dumbfuck."

Miroku studied Inuyasha closely. "You're seriously settling down, then?"

"For the last time, _yes_. Now ask me that question one more time and I'll make sure you never ask another question in your life."

Miroku winced. "You sound like Sango," he muttered.

"Hm. Oh, speaking of, how's it going with her?"

"It's wonderful," Miroku responded immediately. "I feel so at ease when I'm with her, it's like we belong together—"

"So would you settle down with her?"

"Yes," he said automatically. He blinked. "Oh, shit, did I just—?"

Inuyasha was too busy laughing at him to answer.


	38. Who Needs to Knock?

**Who Needs to Knock?**

* * *

"Whoa," Kagome murmured as she walked through the gates of Inuyasha's house. "How big is this thing?"

"Pretty big," Inuyasha replied modestly. "I got lost in here when I was eight, and my parents had to call to cops to come find me."

"…yikes."

Inuyasha chuckled and shifted his arm so his hand rested gently on her waist. "Just stick with me and you won't get lost."

The entire scene was so serene: a hidden mansion in the mountains with gardens as far as the eye could see. The white house stretched on for ages and Kagome simultaneously terrified and perfectly at ease. Contrasted against the snowy stone was a magnificent mahogany door.

She raised her hand to knock delicately on the front door, but Inuyasha held up his hand.

"Let me," he said. He took a step back and Kagome instinctually braced herself. It was a habit she had now; whenever he took a step back, she took three. She watched apprehensively as he casually adjusted his suit jacket. Then, as soon as her eyes slid close in a blink—

 _crash_

Her eyes whipped open.

"INUYASHA!"

"What—?"

"You can't just kick down the door like that!"

"Why not?" he whined, ushering Kagome through the hole he created in the now-splintered wood.

"You should've knocked!"

"But why knock when you have feet?"

"I can't believe you. That's… so uncivilized!"

"As if my brother _could_ be civilized," a cold voice drawled behind her.

Kagome turned slowly and…

her jaw dropped.

* * *

A/N: I guess I will do a sequel, then! I'm glad so many of you enjoy this storyline (if it even has one). If you have any suggestions as to what the sequel should be about, tell me! I would love to do a story that's a little more interactive or something :D

Also, only 2 more chapters left! Hooray!


	39. Rambling

**Rambling**

* * *

Kagome dipped her spoon into her soup daintily. It was taking a lot of self control to not shovel the food in front of her down her throat; it all was delicious but the atmosphere around her slowed her down.

Inuyasha's mother, an elegant woman who introduced herself as Izayoi, sat across from her. She, too, was taking tiny sips of her soup as Inuyasha's father, a towering man who introduced himself as Taisho, argued with Inuyasha and his brother, the beautiful man who had made the snarky comment earlier.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Inuyasha was spitting to Sesshoumaru. Kagome was tempted to ask the man how he kept his long hair so silky (no, she was _not_ jealous) but his cold demeanor frightened her.

"I don't see how it's not my business," Sesshoumaru responded coolly.

"Boys, it's neither of your businesses," Taisho interrupted diplomatically. "Inuyasha, stop provoking your brother and eat your meal."

Inuyasha sulked and Sesshoumaru simply smirked.

"So, Kagome," Izayoi said into the silence. "When did you first meet Inuyasha?"

Everyone at the table paused to listen to her response. She took a shaky breath and tried to calm her nerves. It was his family, after all. "Well, he was dropping off flowers for my best friend Sango on behalf of Sango's current boyfriend but then-suitor, even though she wouldn't deny that she liked him, but she totally did and —"

"Actually...I'm sorry I asked," Izayoi mumbled, rubbing her temples.

* * *

A/N: Second to last chapter! :O I can't believe it. The first chapter of the sequel will be posted at the same time as the last chapter (most likely) so bear with me, folks! Again, please give suggestions on what you think should be covered in the sequel :) see you soon!


	40. From Now Until Forever

**From Now Until Forever**

* * *

"I expect to see more of you," Izayoi told Kagome sternly as they walked towards the fragmented remains of the front door.

"Of course," Kagome told the woman warmly. Izayoi had taken a liking to Kagome when she yelled at Inuyasha for being disrespectful to his mother; Kagome had taken a liking to Izayoi when she yelled at her youngest son for being rude to his girlfriend. "I'm terribly sorry about the door, though."

Izayoi laughed and shook her head. "That boy will be the death of me, but alas, I love him too much to care."

Kagome smiled. "And somehow, I do too."

After the couple finished their prolonged good-byes and Inuyasha's parents finally retreated back into their mansion, Kagome and Inuyasha started to stroll through the gardens towards the main entrance.

"That was a lot of fun, actually," Kagome said cheerfully.

"For you, maybe," Inuyasha grumbled. "You think they're great now, but you'll get sick of them once you hang around them for too long."

"I doubt it."

"Trust me, you will."

"Fine, fine," Kagome relented. She figured she'd let him win this one; it would make him a little happier anyway. "But I still want to visit Izayoi often."

Inuyasha glanced at her. "How long is 'often' going to last?"

"As long as I'm with you, I'm going to visit her."

"So you'll be visiting my mom from now until forever, then?" Inuyasha asked, smirking slightly.

Kagome smiled back and echoed, "from now until forever."

* * *

A/N: The End! I can't believe I actually finished this. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me since the very beginning; to those who have endured my inconsistent updates; to those of you who joined part way through; and to those of you who are reading this only now. The **sequel** to Hallway Shenanigans, **Grown Up Nonsense** , has been posted already! If you are so inclined, please go check it out :)

Once again, thank you so so so much for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful day/week/year/life! 3


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